The use of patient sitters to reduce falls: best practices
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Pennsylvania patient safety advisory
- Author(s):
- Feil, Michelle, author Wallace, Susan C., author
- Contributor(s):
- Pennsylvania. Patient Safety Authority, issuing body. ECRI (Organization), issuing body. Institute for Safe Medication Practices, issuing body.
- Publication:
- [Harrisburg, Pa.] : Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, [2014]
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Accidental Falls -- prevention & control Evidence-Based Medicine -- methods Observation -- methods Cost Control Health Care Surveys Patient Care -- methods Patient safety Humans Pennsylvania United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Using patient sitters to directly observe patients at high risk for falls is a practice suggested as part of several evidence-based falls prevention guidelines. However, the clinical and cost-effectiveness of sitter programs has been questioned. Analysis of data from 75 hospitals participating in the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania Hospital Engagement Network Falls Reduction and Prevention Collaboration revealed a statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05) between low rates of falls with harm and the use of sitter programs. A statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05) was also identified between low rates of falls with harm and three specific sitter program design elements: defining criteria for sitter qualifications, providing a training program for sitters, and establishing a pool of sitters. Analysis of falls reported to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority by hospitals from across the commonwealth in which sitters were identified as being present at the time of the fall suggests that the use of sitters may be associated with a higher percentage of assisted falls and a lower rate of falls with harm. A review of the literature exploring the use of sitters as part of falls prevention programs, along with suggested strategies for sitter program design, is presented. A tool is provided to help hospitals make the business case for implementing and maintaining a sitter program.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (pages )).
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101630039 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101630039